In a house, the boss, when  going over “responsibilities” with a new/prospective  employee, may say: “you’re going to do cleaning, laundry & cooking.  Also, help with the kids when necessary and oh! our linens and bedding are changed twice a week…..I almost forgot, my husband’s shirts  are done at home. He can’t stand the way the ‘cleaner’s’ do his shirts & they come back with buttons missing all the time.”  This is not a good practice. Try to be as specific as possible.  You can begin with tasks starting in the morning. IE: “first thing you’ll do is empty the dishwasher from the night before. Next you go upstairs and make sure the kids are up and getting ready for school. Preparing breakfast and feeding the dogs is next. While the kids are eating their breakfast, make sure their book bags are ready, coats, scarves also.”  Continue the conversation with going through a typical days chores in the order which your household’s needs are best addressed.  It’s always a good idea to have a written and itemized list of expected, daily expectations.  This is not as easy as it sounds…but no one knows your house better, than you.  Including “break time” is important.  A potential employee should know, you are reasonable and do care about their work load.  Making sure you emphasize their need to sit down for a quick lunch, dinner etc goes a long, long way.  Believe it or not, this is one of the most common complaints we hear from housekeepers; “there’s never anything for me to eat or I never have a minute to sit down for a sandwich.”

The point is, not everything is about salary or money.  Most quality candidates, who have the skill set and experience your seeking, want to be treated with dignity and know their basic needs are important to their boss.  An experienced household/domestic worker understands their roll in the household.  It’s showing your an experienced employer of household staff that will help you land a candidate who will meet your requirements, take pride in their job and want to make their boss happy.  A housekeeper or nanny is not looking for a friend or particularly sweet, kindhearted boss.  Their seeking a stable, organized environment and an occasional pat on the back.

Bottom line;  Being as clear and detailed as possible upfront, will avoid many problems down the road!!

Glenn Greenhouse

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Glenn Greenhouse

President at Greenhouse Agcy, Ltd.

Glenn began in the “family business” more than 30 years ago, by coming to work for his Father, Martin Greenhouse. He often recounts how nervous he was, when at 19 years old his Father forced him to pick up the phone and speak with David Suskind. This was to be the first of dozens of phone calls and meetings to come for Glenn……with Celebrity Clientele. Glenn considers himself very fortunate to have spent his life working at a job he truly loves and as he puts it: “earn a comfortable living at the same time.”

Latest posts by Glenn Greenhouse (see all)

• Women’s Day!!! - March 8, 2021
• Black History Month - February 19, 2021
• 2021 “Year of the Metal Ox!!! - February 12, 2021
• STAY SAFE TO STAY OPEN! - January 24, 2021
• “LET US BUILD BRIDGES, RATHER THAN BARRIERS.” - January 18, 2021